FDA Stories #022 — One Indonesian Shrimp Detection Triggered Recalls and Import Certification

Short answer: after US authorities detected cesium-137 associated with containers and a frozen shrimp sample from Indonesia, FDA blocked products from the implicated processor, supported multiple recalls, and required shipment-specific certification for certain shrimp and spices from designated Indonesian regions.

This article summarizes public FDA records. The firms named in those records are not identified as FDABridge clients.

What happened to the Indonesian shrimp shipments?

In August 2025, US Customs and Border Protection alerted FDA to cesium-137 detections in shipping containers at the ports of Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami. FDA collected samples and confirmed cesium-137 in one sample of frozen breaded shrimp processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Foods, in Indonesia.

FDA reported approximately 68 becquerels per kilogram in the tested shrimp sample, below the agency's 1,200 Bq/kg Derived Intervention Level. FDA also stated that no product that tested positive or triggered a radiation alert entered US commerce. Even so, the agency concluded that products from the processor appeared to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions where contamination could occur.

Why were products recalled if the positive shipment did not reach stores?

FDA worked with US distributors and retailers that received shrimp from the same processor after the first detection. Recalls covered connected products and brands even when those particular lots had not triggered a cesium-137 alert. The risk decision considered the source facility, timing, traceability, and apparent insanitary conditions — not only a positive result from every retail bag.

The incident affected multiple US brands and product formats. FDA's recall index lists frozen raw shrimp, cooked shrimp, shrimp skewers, and shrimp cocktail sold under brands including Great Value, Kroger Mercado, AquaStar, Best Yet, and others.

The new import-certification requirement

FDA placed PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati on Import Alert 99-51. Effective October 31, 2025, FDA also required import certification for certain shrimp and spices from specified regions of Indonesia under Import Alert 99-52. FDA described this as its first use of the FSMA import-certification authority to address an ongoing food-safety problem while allowing verified safe trade to continue.

For covered shrimp, Indonesia's Marine Affairs and Fisheries Quality Assurance Agency serves as the certifying entity. Covered shipments need the required certification data submitted to FDA; a standard food facility registration, Prior Notice, or commercial certificate of analysis does not replace that requirement.

What should seafood exporters learn from this case?

• Monitor FDA import alerts by product, firm, country, and region before every shipment cycle.
• Preserve lot-level links between processor, harvest or production region, container, importer, distributor, and retail brand.
• Confirm whether FDA requires a government or designated-entity certificate in addition to registration and Prior Notice.
• Build recall communications that can identify affected lots quickly without recalling unrelated production.
• Remember that a facility-level sanitation finding can affect products that never produced a positive test result.

Quick answers for importers and exporters

Did contaminated shrimp reach US consumers?

FDA stated that no shrimp sample that tested positive or triggered a cesium-137 alert entered US commerce. The related recalls were preventive actions involving products connected to the implicated processor.

Does FDA food facility registration satisfy import certification?

No. Facility registration, Prior Notice, FSVP, seafood HACCP, and shipment-specific import certification are separate controls that may all apply.

Verified public sources

• FDA advisory on imported frozen shrimp from Indonesia: https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm
• FDA response and import-certification information for cesium-137: https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/fda-response-imported-foods-potentially-contaminated-cesium-137

FDABridge helps foreign food facilities coordinate registration, US Agent service, Prior Notice readiness, and import-alert checks. Visit fdabridge.com/food or fdabridge.com/contact.